NorCal Issue 198 Football Preview 2021 by Sport Stars Magazine

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2021 NORCAL EDITION VOL. 12 ISSUE 198

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ho’s more excited for a return to fall Friday night lights? Us, or the players and coaches? It’s probably a toss-up. Since Aug. 6 we’ve had daily football preview content up on SportStarsMag.com. Our Return To Fall Series has featured a number of team and player spotlights, revealed portions of our Preseason NorCal Top 20 rankings, hosted videos and more. And it’s not stopping with the release of this, our 10th annual Football Preview special edition. The Return To Fall posts will continue all the way through Aug. 26 as we lead up to the season kickoff weekend for the rest of Northern California after the Sac-Joaquin Section gets underway on Aug. 20. We started a football-only podcast too and called it 7 Friday Night — a tribute to the traditional 7pm kickoff time for most varsity games. The podcast, which will release midweek episodes until the last games are played in mid-December, features the co-host pairing of myself and a longtime friend and colleague, Ben Enos. We once paired together on a different high school football project more than a decade ago when we called ourselves The Geeks. The video series featured wizard hats and viking horns, and lots of offbeat humor. Our hope is 7 Friday Night will be a slightly older, wiser version of that. Without the sight gags, because podcasts. We’re also bringing along some actual football wisdom in recurring guest star Terry Eidson, the recently-retired coaching legend who helped Bob Ladouceur build the De La Salle-Concord program into what it is today. Coach Eidson will do his best to keep Ben and myself on the rails, and the three of us will talk high school football along with a variety of guests (coaches and players) from programs throughout California. The introductory episode is available now and a new one will post by Aug. 19. Lastly, I’m excited that we once again have our Football Preview special edition. It’s a little more streamlined than recent editions since we’ve moved more of the content online for the Return To Fall Series. However, there’s still more than 30 pages of football goodness in here. We have features on programs from across three different sections, our NorCal Top 20 rankings and a NorCal All-Preseason Team featuring 24 of the top players in the region. We’ve also included a feature that asks how close we are to really being “back to normal?” While practices and scrimmages this August have certainly helped make it seem like high school football is back on the path to normalcy, uncertainty remains. And until actual games are played with student sections, bands and the like, no one really knows. We talked to coaches from across NorCal — both veteran and new — to find out how they’re approaching that uncertainty. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot of rolling with the punches. But few sports took more punches than football during the last year, so coaches and players are ready. And so are we. Let’s go! ✪

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8.19.16 Five years ago we took this photo of El Cerrito two-way lineman Aaron Banks for use in our 2016 Football Preview. After a decorated career at Notre Dame, he was the second-round selection (48th overall) of the San Francisco 49ers this past April. Photo By Berry Evans III

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NorCal Left Its Mark On The Boys Junior Nationals, Led By Bay To Bay Volleyball Club’s 16s Championship 8

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After a summer without the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships, Bay To Bay Volleyball Club’s teams couldn’t wait to perform in 2021. The Campbell club was far and away the most consistent NorCal performer from June 30-July 7 in Kansas City. From the 14 through 17 age groups, Bay To Bay had four teams place third, two runner-ups and one champ. The champion came in the 16 USA Division where the Bay To Bay 16-2s went 9-2 and outlasted the Ocean Bay 16 Waves of Florida in a three-set final. Bay To Bay won the first set 25-22 before Ocean Bay evened things with its own 25-22 result in the second set. The deciding set went 15-9 to Bay To Bay, setting off a wild celebration. “I think this is the best feeling in the world,” Bay To Bay 16-2s coach Josh Nolan told USAVolleyball.com. “These boys for a year haven’t had any competition, anything to fight for and to drive them to do better. Since we started playing, this group in 2021 ... everything just fell into place. It worked out and it made us so thankful for the opportunities we used to have and might have taken for granted beforehand.” Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

The 16-2 team’s roster includes Georgios Argiris, Ethan Castillo, Nolan Foster, Rishi Kodavati, Landen Meonske, Nicholas Metz, Cade Morgan, Bryce Nohava, Zachary Seraj, Michael Shi and Julian Villanueva. Bay To Bay’s next best performance at nationals came from its 15-1s team in the 15 Open Division. That team led by coach Matthew Frankenstein didn’t drop a set until it reached the championship match. There, the team fell to another unbeaten juggernaut as Balboa Bay 15 Blue bested it in two highly competitive sets, 25-22, 25-23. Bay To Bay also had a team earn silver medals in the 17 Club Division, and had third-place finishes in the 17 Open, 16 Open, 15 Club and 14 Open divisions. The best NorCal finish from outside of Bay To Bay came from the always-consistent Pacific Rim Academy 18 Orange of Pleasant Hill. That group, led by star hitter and top recruit Josh Ewert (Campolindo High-Moraga), went 7-4 overall and reached the 18 Open Division final. And just like the Bay To Bay 15-1s, the Pac Rim squad ran into a dominant Balboa Bay team. Balboa won in straight sets 25-14, 25-23 to complete an undefeated tournament. Mountain View Volleyball Club rounded out NorCal’s showing as its 17-Black team took third in the 17 USA Division. ✪ Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

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n a typically hot mid-August afternoon, everything felt normal at College Park High School. Just about an hour after the first day of school concluded on the Pleasant Hill campus, new head coach Travis Raciti led his Falcons out for practice and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The junior varsity team was already hard at work on drills, student athletic trainers stood at attention with water bottles ready, and cross country runners lined the track as they started preparations for their own season. By the end of practice, youth football teams occupied each end of the stadium complex and waited their turn to take the field. Fall football season was officially back to normal. Or was it? The truth is, that fundamental premise — the idea that everything could go right back to normal — is inherently flawed. Sure, the scene looked familiar, but what about the masks coaches and staff all wore? What about the six feet of distance onlookers made an effort to keep? Just a few hours earlier, those same players had the chance to sit in a classroom with other students for the first time in more than 15 months. Another high school football season has arrived. While the procedures and protocols are most definitely different, that typically hot afternoon in Pleasant Hill, with a field filled by athletes of all ages, is representative of a society to which many would very much like to return. The last time Northern California high schools got a chance to take the field, a truncated spring season offered most schools a chance at a five or six-game campaign that looked, felt and sounded different. There were very few fans in the stands, and the pomp and circumstance of Friday Night Lights had to be kept under wraps in an attempt to keep everyone safe from the dangers of COVID-19.

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As one of the loudest voices behind the return-to-play effort, Serra-San Mateo coach Patrick Walsh played a major role in getting kids back in the spring. With that in the rearview mirror, the Padres’ longtime coach knows the uncertainty hasn’t magically disappeared because of one successful half-season. “In some ways it was easier to build a game plan to open it up for everyone (in California), but now it is on the microlevel,” Walsh said. “How is San Mateo County doing, how is Contra Costa County doing, what is going on in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, or at Las Lomas High School? There are so many variables.” For Sacramento-area powerhouse Folsom, the pandemic impacted the program’s trajectory in a different way. Because of the uncertainty felt throughout the fall of 2020, the Bulldogs lost several upperclassmen to opt-outs by the time the spring season became reality. Although that meant lots of new faces in new places, it didn’t mean a dropoff in production. A younger than usual

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squad turned in a 6-0 season and in doing so laid the groundwork for a veteran 2021 team with high expectations. So everything is back to normal for one of the state’s premier programs, right? Not quite. The Bulldogs will continue district-mandated COVID-19 testing once a week. They’ll wear masks when inside lifting weights. They’ll leave it to the players and their families to decide on vaccinations, but the coaches have all been vaccinated in an effort to create as safe an environment as possible. “If unfortunately someone does have a positive test, I’m cautiously optimistic it won’t shut down the whole group,” Folsom head coach Paul Doherty said. “We’ll see how that plays out, but I think it’s all trending in the right direction. All the coaches are vaccinated, a bunch of the kids are, I think our parents are on board. The kids that are here playing football, I think the parents want to see them playing football.” With uncertainty often comes trepidation to even show up. An unofficial survey of local coaches shows a mixed bag when it comes to turnout. While some schools had less players show up for the fall, that could be due to a combination of factors, only one of which is COVID-related hesitancy. At San Ramon Valley-Danville, turnout was robust for fall camp. Coach Aaron Becker sees a return to normalcy as something to strive for, but as a teacher also working to reincorporate kids into the classroom, he admits that the need to roll with the punches remains ever present. “I think kids are excited to get families back and students back to cheer them on,” Becker said. “But as far as being back in the classroom, you just don’t know what’s around the corner. I’m just very one day at a time, if you will. It’s very cliché, but the other shoe could always drop.” In Raciti’s case, the return of families and fans will be a welcome aid in an attempt to reignite his alma mater’s program.

While Falcons players all point to Raciti’s high energy level as a catalyst for change, one of NorCal’s newest coaches knows what can happen if the entire community gets a chance to come together in support of his young team. “It’ll be a breath of fresh air,” Raciti said. “After a year of lockdown, it’s going to be revitalizing. It all helps us get back to where we want to be.” Universally, coaches are leaning on their administrations and health officers to provide the road map. COVID-19 remains a moving target, so extracurricular activities will remain contingent on what local health officials deem necessary to keep the community safe. In the meantime, coaches like El Cerrito’s Jacob Rincon aren’t thinking about getting back to what once was. They’re doing what educators do best — trying to figure out the best path forward for their students. “I think times have changed, so it’s going to be a different type of normal than what we all grew up with and what we experienced in high school,” the Gauchos coach said. “At the end of the day, we have to make sure we make this situation we’re in best for the kids. “We want to make sure we make this as special as we can, but also accommodate whatever society’s needs are as far as the CDC and all these things. We can’t get flustered, because we want to show the kids when things change, you have to keep your composure, adapt to it and it’s just part of life.” ✪

For New Coaches, Old Methods Don’t Apply To Socially Distanced Sidelines So you want to run your own high school football program? Try figuring out how to do it during a global pandemic. The learning curve associated with taking over a program is steep under the best of circumstances, but for Northern California’s newest head coaches, COVID-19 has introduced a whole different set of challenges. For Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland’s Dave Perry, taking over two weeks before the Bay Area entered lockdown meant shifting into educator mode. A teacher at Willard Middle School in Berkeley, Perry had to shift his Dave Perry classroom to remote learning to adjust to a new reality. He decided to do the same with his football team. Using Zoom, Perry focused on enrichment rather than football. The team held a Mother’s Day cooking challenge, and when a teammate’s family member passed away, the Dragons worked together virtually to create cards and support the family. “You hear a lot of great coaches say all the time that culture gets wins and culture builds wins and things of that nature. That was my focus,” Perry said. “Create a classroom environment with the hope of a season happening at some point in time and build the culture of my program exactly like I want it. The focus became less scheme and more culture.” Eventually, Perry identified team leaders and built a network that tasked them with staying in touch with their teammates. Once kids had the ability to work out in pods, he sent them play sheets and wristband inserts and they used their pods to teach themselves a new offense.

Those small groups filmed their work so Perry could make suggestions and adjustments over Zoom. The result is a library of more than 500 video clips that makes up the foundation of an offense the Dragons think has a chance to be quite successful in 2021. The experience was similar for California-San Ramon coach Danny Calcagno. An accomplished head coach at Chabot College looking to make the transition back to high school, Calcagno did what he could to put his stamp on the program. “It was very challenging. I would say my advantage was I knew a lot of the kids just from growing up. I coached them in Little League, so I had a relationship with probably half the kids,” Calcagno said. “It was just a tough COVID year. We overcame it, it was an obstacle but we got through it and I was very thankful to have the six (spring) games and give those seniors something to have some memories from.” Monte Vista-Danville endured an uncharacteristically tough spring season, going 0-6 and changing coaches over the summer. Heading into the fall, the Mustangs have turned to former NFL and Cal running back C.J. Anderson to right the ship as their new head coach. While Anderson might be taking on his first head coaching job, he brings with him recent experience with the NFL’s COVID protocols. Primary among those are the need to stay vigilant away from the field and to follow the guidelines set by district and local health officials. “Some of the things we did in the NFL don’t cost money. We don’t have to have the Detroit Lions’ billion-dollar budget,” Anderson said. “We don’t need to have that budget to do some things as a community and as a family to make sure we’re live and direct on Friday nights wherever we play.” ✪

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1. De La Salle-Concord (6-0 last spring) There will be new faces in a lot of key positions, but expecting the Spartans to be anything less than their normal NorCal-dominant self has proven a foolish endeavor in year’s past. Senior Luke Dermon is expected to take over at quarterback, filling the post Dorian Hale held down for three seasons. A handful of players are competing to see who will join Dermon in the De La Salle backfield, including returning linebacker Damonie Perkins. The passing game does include key returning seniors Zeke Berry at WR and Brodie Tagaloa at TE. Berry and Perkins will be defensive leaders as well. The Spartans won’t have a ton of time to figure stuff out as they’ll face No. 6 St. Mary’s-Stockton to open things up on Aug. 27.

2. Folsom (6-0) If there wasn’t a program that had an active 300-plus game unbeaten streak against NorCal opponents, then this Folsom team would’ve been close to a lock for the No. 1 spot. But that program does exist, and until De La Salle falls to a NorCal foe, it needs to remain at the top of the rankings. The Bulldogs and their 19 returning starters will get their shot at DLS on Oct. 8. Folsom’s key returners include QB Tyler Tremain, who led the state in passing yards last spring, and a number of his top targets (WR Rico Flores Jr. and TE Walker Lyons). LBs Jacob Tremain and Justin Eklund will anchor the defense.

3. Pittsburg (5-0) Junior four-star dual-threat quarterback Jaden Rashada finally gets to take the full reins of the Pirates offense, and he’ll have an ample amount of talent at his disposal. Chief among the team’s many playmakers (and one of nine returning offensive starters), is four-star junior WR Rashid Williams. More offensive firepower will come from fellow juniors Israel Pok, Keynan Higgins, Charles Brown and Budha Boyd.

4. Serra-San Mateo (5-0) All-purpose standout Hassan Mahasin returns, as does Cal-Hi Sports’ All-State quarterback Dominique Lampkin. The Padres will battle some inexperience this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. This team will cut its teeth quickly with a season-opener at No. 3 Pittsburg on Aug. 27.

5. Rocklin (4-0) The Thunder return eight starters on offense and another five on defense following a very impressive spring. Senior Kenny Leuth returns behind center and he’ll have some of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s best linemen in front of him, Bobby Piland (6-1, 280 pounds) and Brad Baur (6-6, 280).

6. St. Mary’s-Stockton (3-1) Lightning-fast UCLA-bound receiver Jadyn Marshall and punishing linebacker Jahzon Jacks lead an experienced Rams team that went toe-to-toe with De La Salle in the spring before falling 35-27. They get another shot, hosting the Spartans on Aug. 27.

7. McClymonds-Oakland (4-0) Mack returns 19 starters, the most the Warriors have featured in several seasons. Among them is four-year QB Dreyaun Paul, who accounted for 30 TDs over just four spring games.

8. Valley Christian-San Jose (3-1) The Warriors return QB Jake Berman and 4-star junior receiver Jurrion Dickey on offense. All-NorCal LB Will Cuddie returns to lead a defense that allowed just 23 points over the team’s three spring wins.

9. San Ramon Valley-Danville (4-2) With 15 returning starters, including three-year starting QB Jack Quigley, the Wolves may have their most experienced roster in several years.

10. Lincoln-Stockton (4-0) Outside of Folsom, the Trojans may have the best collection of skill players in the SacJoaquin Section. That includes dual-threat QB Kenyon Nelson and All-State senior RB Jonah Coleman.

THE NEXT TEN View full capsules for these teams at SportStarsMag.com 11. Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 12. Clayton Valley-Concod 13. Menlo-Atherton-Atherton 14. Jesuit-Carcmichael 14

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From left, Tariq Adams, Rahsaan Woodland II and Brenden Bush 16

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obody has to tell Nick Tisa what happened in the final game of Clayton Valley High’s last full football season. “I’ve been coaching 16 years and I’ve only missed one game,” Tisa said. “And I missed that game because my daughter was being born.” That game was the 2019 CIF 2-AA State Bowl championship game, which the Ugly Eagles won 10-7 in true grind-it-out, “ugly” fashion over AquinasSan Bernardino. Ivy Tisa will be two years old this December, and after the pandemic wiped out the 2020 state bowl games, Clayton Valley will still be the defending 2-AA champions when the North Coast Section season opens on Aug. 27. As for Nick Tisa, this season will mark his first as a co-head coach in the program. He’s sharing duties with 10-year Ugly Eagles coach Tim Murphy. Tisa, who had a six-year tenure coaching Dougherty Valley-San Ramon before moving to the Concord campus in 2018, is already practicing the coaching art of setting low expectations.

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“We lost a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball,” the new cocoach said at an Aug. 12 practice. “We’re pretty young. … Our entire O-line hardly got any playing time last spring.” A noble effort, but we’re not buying. The rest of Northern California likely isn’t either. Any idea what the last Ugly Eagles team described as “raw and inexperienced” ended up doing? That’s right! They won the 2-AA State Bowl crown. So much has happened since that state bowl championship. High school sports came to an abrupt stop and needed almost a full 12 months before it could restart again. The seniors on this Ugly Eagles team carry a much different perspective than they might have in the fall of 2020 had they returned as celebrated state bowl champs. “Just coming back to school, and then going from school to practice, it’s just a blessing,” senior quarterback Brenden Bush said.

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Nick Tisa

“It’s really good to be back.” Who exactly is back? Clayton Valley has 11 returning starters from the spring season in which it finished 4-2. And yes, the offensive line will have a lot of fresh faces outside of senior Slater Mather. But the skill positions are fairly loaded. That starts with Brenden Bush. Bush is in his third year of varsity, and second year as a starter. His skill set and talent has actually led to a partial divergence from Clayton Valley’s typical power run offense. “When Brenden came here his freshman year was when Coach Murphy started talking about having to go spread, because he was one of the best QBs we’d seen as a freshman,” Tisa said. Bush split time with senior Jake Kern a year ago and had a good amount of success. In a 17-14 win at San Ramon Valley-Danville that clinched an East Bay Athletic League-Mountain Division title last spring, Bush was 4-for-4 for 43 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed once for a 12-yard pickup. After a strong summer of travel 7-on-7 that took him all the way to Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Bush returned to fall camp with confidence and ready

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Jared Palega

Brenden Bush

to embrace his leadership role on the Ugly Eagles. “He’s matured as a leader and quarterback tremendously,” Murphy said. “He progresses through his reads well and he’s faster than he gives himself credit for. Some QBs are three reads and sack. Brenden is a two read and let’s run guy.” Murphy won’t be calling the plays anymore. He’ll be ceding that responsibility to offensive coordinator Scott Chrisco. “That’s going to be the tough one,” Murphy said with a laugh. “I’ve never not called plays, but the goal is definitely for me not to step in. I’ll still be there on the sideline helping break things down on video, though.” And while Murphy won’t be calling plays, Clayton Valley will still run plenty of power. That part of the offense will be led by three-year tailback Rahsaan Woodland II. Woodland was the team’s secondary ball carried behind Omari Taylor a year ago, and averaged more than six yards a carry. He’ll be joined in the back field by three-year two-way player Tariq Adams, up and coming sophomore Micah Avery, and fellow senior Jordan Barbadillo once he returns from a broken collarbone suffered at a camp in early June. Bush will have talent to throw to as well, including his twin brother Alex Bush. 20

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“I’ve been playing with him all my life, so I know every movement and all of his timing,” Brenden Bush said. “We just gel really well. That’s what I’m trying to do with the other receivers.” Bush mentioned a number of newer players he’s been impressed with this camp, including juniors Casey Forrester, Cody Demartini, Miguel Alvarado and Joey Mourad. He also mentioned senior Helfrick Leighton, a baseball player who’s just in his second year of football. Tisa, who has been the defensive backs coach and spent games up in the coaches booth, will return to the sideline and work primarily with the defense on game nights. His top defensive returners include Adams, a hard-hitting linebacker that Murphy calls a “violent leader and throwback kid,” senior defensive end Amari Comier and DL/LB Jared Palega. “I feel very confident about this group,” Brenden Bush added. “Our senior group has been through a lot together and we’re really working on building a strong team chemistry so we can finish off strong.” Tisa is especially fond of the senior group. It’s the class that were freshmen the year he joined the coaching staff. “I grew up in the program with them,” Tisa said. “I feel like I’ve really gone on this journey with them. … And it’s a group that really believes in playing for the brand of Ugly Eagles football.”

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Rahsaan Woodland II

Bush was asked what playing for the Ugly Eagles brand meant to him, and how he communicated it to the underclassmen. “We work hard. Nothing is given,” the quarterback said. “We come out there and it’s all fun and games until we hit the field. What I try to stress to others is ‘Do your job.’ At Clayton Valley we all do our job and that’s why we have so much success. We might not have the best guys, but we just all do our job and come up on top.” Over his first nine seasons, Murphy’s Clayton Valley teams have been pretty good at doing just that: Doing their jobs. Whether he’s had experienced rosters, or not, the Ugly Eagles program has proven to be a model of consistency to the tune of an 88-20 overall record and four NCS Div. II titles. The most recent came in 2019 and led to the state bowl run. The veteran coach may be taking more of an executive role in 2021, but he has every confidence that Tisa can maintain that success. “He really cares about the kids,” Murphy said of his new co-coach. “He’s really into building a team atmosphere. When he got here, anything I directed or asked him to do he did it and never tried to veer away from the system. That’s going to be huge — because the system works.” Ugly Eagles football isn’t changing anytime soon. Which means despite some new faces — both on the field and along the sidelines — there’s a better than average chance Clayton Valley will be playing in late November again. And, perhaps December too. Let’s just say the date for Ivy Tisa’s birthday party will be circled in pencil. ✪ Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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OFFENSE

De La Salle’s Zeke Berry

QB Tyler Tremain (Folsom), Sr. Had no problem joining the Bulldog QB lineage; threw for 2,024 yards and 27 TD with just 4 INT and has all of his top targets returning. RB Jonah Coleman (Lincoln-Stockton), Sr. Arizona commit landed 2nd Team All-State honors and should be one of the most watched RBs in Sac-Joaquin Section this fall. RB Matt White (Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland), Sr. True all-purpose back has potential to have East Bay’s biggest breakout season. Coach Dave Perry will line him up all over the field to take advantage of matchups. WR Rashid Williams (Pittsburg), Jr. Four-star talent is raring to go after a separated shoulder limited him to just one half in the spring. Big numbers await in a Pirates spread offense led by 4-star QB Jaden Rashada. WR Jadyn Marshall (St. Mary’s-Stockton), Sr. The 1st Team All-State selection and UCLAcommit was electric as both a receiver and kick returner in Rams’ four spring games. OL Jackson Brown (San Ramon ValleyDanville), Sr. Will be among Bay’s top returning lineman this fall; offers already from Cal, Colorado and Pitt. OL Bobby Piland (Rocklin), Sr. Two-way standout tackle is not the player you want to see coming your way if you’re an opposing linebacker. OL Uluakinofo Taliauli (St. Francis-Mountain View), Sr. 247Sports.com ranks him among the Class of 2022’s Top 60 interior offensive linemen; Oregon and Colorado are among his current offers. OL Derek Thompson (De La Salle-Concord), Jr. A 3-Star talent with an offer from Nevada, Thompson is expected to be a leader in De La Salle’s perennially dominant running game. OL Drew Azzopardi (Serra-San Mateo), Sr. One of two 3-star tackles on the Padres roster, Azzopardi’s offers include San Diego State, Nevada and Idaho. TE Walker Lyons (Folsom), Jr. One of the top tight end recruits in the country with 25+ Power Five offers including Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State and Michigan PK Joe Repass (Union Mine), Sr. His four-game spring included going 4-for-4 on PATs and 5-for-7 on field goals with a long of 47 yards. 22

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DEFENSE DL Miles Bailey (Benicia), Sr. San Diego State commit posted 31 tackles and four sacks over the spring and was also an impact tight end. DL Tigana Cisse (McClymonds-Oakland), Sr. The two-way standout is one of 10 returning defensive starters for the Warriors and is a major problem for opposing run games. DL Jahzon Jacks (St. Mary’s-Stockton), Sr. Dominated Rams’ spring finale win over Central Catholic with 11 tackles (5 solo) and one sack; Fresno State commit. DL/LB Jared Palega (Clayton Valley-Concord), Sr. At 6-foot-2, 270 pounds, Palega is both quick enough to play linebacker and physical enough to be a down lineman too LB Jake Ripp (Los Gatos), Sr. Committed to Boise State in early August, Ripp led the undefeated Wildcats with 69 tackles last spring. Also has the best football name on this list. LB Tanner Salisbury (San Ramon ValleyDanville), Sr. A 3-star linebacker who spent frosh/sophomore years at SRV before heading to Mater Dei last year. He’s back now and holds up to 13 offers including Colorado and San Diego State. LB Tanaki Tonga (Monterey Trail-Elk Grove), Sr. Tackling machine averaged more than nine per game in the spring; he finished with 47 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a blocked punt for the Mustangs. DB Zeke Berry (De La Salle-Concord), Sr. A playmaker in all three phases of the game, Berry holds offers to play corner for several Power 5 programs. DB Croix Stewart (Benicia), Sr. The UCLA commit slots in among CA’s top 75 recruits in both the Rivals and 247Sports rankings. DB DJ Crowther (Christian BrothersSacramento), Sr. Every-down star may have made his biggest impact as a RB last spring, but also had a pick-6 among his 17 total TDs DB Jeremiah Earby (Menlo-Atherton-Atherton), Sr. Also a starting WR for the Bears, Earby is a 3-star corner weighing multiple Pac-12 offers; had two INTs last spring, returning one for a TD AP Hassan Mahasin (Serra-San Mateo), Sr. A 1st Team All-State selection that lived up to his “Missile” nickname with 745 yards of total offense and 10 TDs last spring. ✪ Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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Hassan Mahasin Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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Football Preview 2021

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Dominque Lampkin

full slate of fall football is most welcome at Serra High in San Mateo. The Padres are eager for the challenge of the mighty West Catholic Athletic League and a potential postseason run. In December 2019, the last time Serra could take part in any playoffs, the Padres played for a state championship. It was their third State Bowl game in four seasons. That’s quite a standard to live up to. Like all teams coming back to fall action after a half-season in the spring, past expectations seem a lot to ask. “I think that is the biggest challenge for us,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “You have preseason rankings which mean nothing on where we are in December; there’s managing press clippings that don’t help. Clearly we have talent on the team, but sometimes that can backfire when work ethic doesn’t match the talent.” We’ll break it gently to Walsh that Serra is the No. 4 ranked team in SportStars’ NorCal preseason rankings, coming after a

sterling 5-0 record against WCAL teams in the spring resumption. Given the uncertain COVID-19 pandemic world we all are living in, the Padres won’t get ahead of themselves. Their eyes are on the starting line, not on December. “We will feel fortunate when the ball is kicked off at Pittsburg, at Palo Alto,” Walsh said. “We will be grateful to play one game at a time. I know that is the old coaching cliche, but that is the truth in the times we are in right now.” Walsh has been at the forefront of getting football back on the field in this challenging era. He formed the Golden State HS Football Coaches Community with De La Salle-Concord coach Justin Alumbaugh. They forged a plan for a safe return for high school sports, and along with the Let Them Play movement, eventually convinced California state officials that sports could be played under careful and precise protocols after a year of dormancy following the onset of the pandemic. Given the role and effort Walsh played in getting football back,

Story by Mike Wood | Photos by Chace Bryson 26

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Hassan Mahasin scored 10 TDs in five games last spring.

there was a genuine feeling of reciprocity when spring games became reality. A gifted motivator in his two decades at Serra, there seemed to be an extra push of appreciation from his own players. “(His work) did motivate us to play harder in that it made us more grateful and thankful to have that opportunity to play,” senior quarterback Dominique Lampkin said. “So thankful that we have a coach that works that hard to get you able to play.” That feeling extended to following the safety measures that Walsh and the coaches’ group established. “It did make us feel more responsible, not like we owed him something but that he deserves the best out of this team,” Lampkin said. “He gave us everything he could so we could play, so we should give him everything we got.” With a full schedule ahead in football’s rightful season, eagerness is flourishing. Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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Football Preview 2021

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Nathan Elu

“It feels great and there’s a sense of relief getting back to doing something again that I’ve done my whole life,” Lampkin said. “Everybody’s excited, everyone’s pumped, and we can’t wait to play.” Experience comes piecemeal for many. Lampkin has two half-seasons as a starting varsity quarterback. As a sophomore, he came in midway when Daylin McLemore suffered a broken collarbone. That year after finishing in a three-way tie atop the WCAL with Valley Christian-San Jose and St. Ignatius-San Francisco, the Padres won the Central Coast Section Division I championship and the NorCal Division I-A crown. That led to the 2019 Division I-A state title game, which saw Corona del Mar-Newport Beach take a hard-fought 35-27 victory. In Serra’s five spring wins, Lampkin had 984 yards of total offense, including 192 rushing yards, and 12 touchdowns. Illinois State, Idaho and Fresno State are in the running for his next step. “He can throw and run it effectively, having him back there is almost like being in the Wildcat every time,” Walsh said. Along with his game skills, Lampkins’ personality and humor is evident, though he said he keeps things serious when it comes to 28

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Football Preview 2021

football. “Dominique is a true character,” Walsh said. “He keeps things loose, and he is such a fun guy to coach. Sometimes I have to say ‘Hey Dom, let’s go, it’s time to play football.” The exploits continue with the guy with his own customized nickname: Hassan “the Missil3” Mahasin. The senior all-everything back was magical this spring. In the opener, Hassan made a highlight reel TD catch on Serra’s first drive, which gave Lampkin the adrenaline rush that football was truly back. The two have played together since sixth grade. “We have chemistry, a brotherhood together,” Lampkin said. “It’s second-nature. He’s always been a fast kid, quick kid; he’s amazing.” Hassan’s ability to make things happen has caught the attention of colleges like Boise State, Arizona State, Colorado and San Jose State. He scored 10 times in those five games and totalled 745 yards. “His instinct is to get into the end zone every time he touches the ball,” Walsh said. “We’re fortunate to have him for his last year

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Coach Patrick Walsh

here at Serra. The might behind the offense comes from an offensive line led by a couple of massive senior tackles, 6-5, 315-pound Drew Azzopardi and 6-5, 295 Nathan Elu. “They have the one thing no one can teach, which is size,” Walsh said, with a chuckle. “So the responsibility is on us as coaches to see that they put that size to use. They do not have a lot of varsity experience, so they have to grow up fast and be ready to get going week one.” Defensive experience concerns Walsh, who said he’s looking for collective leadership after seeing standouts like Nusi Malani and Marcellus Eison step up two years ago and Fynn Williams rising up last season. In the secondary, Malakei Hoeft is back at Serra for his senior year after moving to Utah a year ago. At 6-2, 155, Sione Laulea is “the longest tallest cornerback we have ever had.” Walsh’s two decades as Serra coach has seen eight WCAL titles, six CCS titles and a 2017 state championship in a 38-14 win over Cajon-San Bernardino in the Division 2-AA bowl game. To get on the right track with the grind of a full 10-game fall schedule, Serra begins on Aug. 27 with a visit to No. 3 Pittsburg, where the atmosphere is saturated with football and tradition. Walsh said Pittsburg is a place that does football right. “The band is exceptional, the environment is exceptional,” he said. “You can’t go limping into that game.” In their last trip to the East Bay Area power in 2018, the Padres lost 45-35. Though Serra won the 2019 rematch 58-21 at home, it’s the road loss that’s stuck with Walsh. “Last time we played there it was a total nightmare; we were obliterated,” Walsh said. “I still have PTSD from that night. That’s a tough place to play but that is why we schedule them and get to face Coach Galli and the Pirates.” ✪` Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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Football Preview 2021

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Football Preview 2021

Steven Duran will be a critical two-way player for Cosumnes Oaks this fall, which includes returning to the quarterback role he hasn’t played since his freshman season.

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From left, Damon Carter, Dejohn Marshall and Deonte Carter.

t’s been three years since senior quarterback Steven Duran III worked closely with Martin Billings on a football field. As the newly-appointed varsity head coach, Billings takes over the Cosumnes Oaks High varsity program following the abrupt resignation of Andrew Bettencourt in late April. Billings worked closely with Duran when he was a freshman. In fact, that was the last time Duran was under center for his high school squad. The two-way standout who doubles as a safety and a signal-caller has earned collegiate interest for his play on the defensive side of the ball, but it’s his quarterback play that will define the 2021 season for the Wolfpack. Although he’s not the tallest passer in the league at 6-foot-1, Duran showcases good pocket awareness and movement. He’s able to worm his way around the backfield to find throwing lanes, and it’s his ‘bombs away,’ gunslinger mentality that his coach says sets him apart. “I’m excited for Steven because he can make all of the throws,” Billings said. “He’s got a strong arm and can throw deep, but he can also throw short. He’s like a golfer. When he needs to throw deep, he takes his driver out, and when he needs to throw short, he brings out his putter. He understands that philosophy.” The senior quarterback will operate out of the spread offense this year and if you watch his scrimmage highlights against Will C. Wood from mid-August, you’ll quickly see his aggressive nature from the pocket and his playmaking ability. Duran credits his receivers for that. “We have a lot of speed this year,” Duran said. “I know if I am going deep, I just need to get the ball there, and let my guys do their thing.” His guys are led by a trio of seniors, and it’s a full on family affair. Three brothers lead the skill group — wideouts Dejohn Marshall, returning starter Deonte Carter, and running back Damon Carter. All seniors, each will play a key role in this year’s offense. “All of them are excellent football players — they’re smart, they run great routes and they get open,” Billings said. “Deonte is a great basketball player for us as well, and he plays like that. He can go up and catch the ball like an alley-oop. Dejohn, his brother,

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isn’t as tall, but he’s quick and he’s also very physical. Damon wasn’t able to play last year, but he’s a tall, physical running back who can run between the tackles, or outside.” Fellow seniors Severoe McCrae and Omarie White, along with a strong junior in Jared Quenga, have also developed good chemistry with their quarterback, giving Duran the confidence to air it out and give his receivers a chance multiple times a game. “I know I have the arm and the ability to get it down there,” Duran added. “I have the trust in my guys, and I know they’re going to go up and come down with the ball.” A strong aerial attack doesn’t mean Billings’ offense will be one-dimensional though. The first-year coach said the team will employ a few two-back sets, and Duran has the speed and skills as a runner to frustrate defenses as well. In fact, he follows the prolific three-year career of another dualthreat quarterback in Anthony Grigsby Jr., who graduated in the spring. Much like last year, Wolfpack fans will see a blend of deep passes and quarterback-designed runs. Duran says for every run the offense has, he has the option to keep the ball. If the coaches call an inside-zone run, Duran will key on the defensive end, and if he bites hard enough on the running back, Duran says he knows he has the speed to break it outside and get a chunk gain. “He’s like a running back,” Billings noted. “He’s a terrific athlete and he’s not afraid to take off and run with it. He’s also a standout defender for us at free safety, and I think that helps him at quarterback because he understands what the secondary is reading when they’re on defense.” Billings isn’t a new face on campus, but he does bring a fresh perspective.

New coach Martin Billings

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Football Preview 2021

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He’s been at the Elk Grove school for six years. His Wolfpack coaching resume includes the freshman football program — starting as an assistant coach four years ago — as well as head freshman basketball coach for five years, and an assistant coach for the track and field program. He wasn’t the only new addition. Billings enlisted help from various departments on campus, adding experience and some nuance. His defensive coordinator is Lewis Lassetter, who has been with the football program since its inception, and athletic director George Smith returned to the program to serve as the team’s offensive coordinator. “Surprisingly, when coach Bettencourt stepped down, it was close to the end of the year, we were in COVID, and we just weren’t sure about bringing on a teacher who could have possibly been on campus, so I reached out to some of the former coaches,” Billings said. “It ended up being nine of us in total, and we decided to go ahead and work with the football program.” Their experience could pay big dividends for a team that went 2-1 during the COVID-19 shortened season, despite a lack of sustained practices and an uncertain re-start date. “As a team, it was hard for us at first,” Duran said of last year. “We didn’t have a lot of chemistry, but as we started practicing we started locking in. The same is true for this year. We’ve gotten better the more we’ve gotten together.” As is usually the case, the Wolfpack will have a tough league slate, facing top teams like Elk Grove, Davis and Jesuit-Carmichael. Jesuit is one of three Cosumnes Oaks opponents that begins the season in SportStars’ NorCal Top 20 rankings. Non-league opponents Monterey Trail-Elk Grove and Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills are the others. Fans will witness first-hand the team’s competitiveness on Aug. 20 when they face the Trojans in El Dorado Hills to open the season. “Just because of last year, and COVID, and the weird season, I still look at Oak Ridge as the defending champs and one of the top teams in the area,” Duran said. “But I don’t see a team on our schedule that we can’t beat.” ✪

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Dejohn Marshall

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